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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26935744">Interference</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/L56895/pseuds/L56895'>L56895</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Final Fantasy X-2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Fluff</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 16:21:55</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,266</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26935744</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/L56895/pseuds/L56895</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Yuna decides to try and win Nooj around one more time. Post-game.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Nooj/Paine (Final Fantasy X-2)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Interference</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>"Sir?"<br/><br/>Nooj looked up from the paperwork on his desk at the loud rap on his door. The process of dismantling the Youth League was slower than expected, although many of the higher members had already branched out in to other pursuits. A core collection of recruits, suddenly faced with the growing possibility of being anchor-less in the calm, were demanding a leadership battle to keep the faction alive, although Lucil furiously scoffed at the very idea. The distraction at the door was welcome.<br/><br/>"What is it, Yaibel?"<br/><br/>"Sir!" Nooj permitted himself an eye roll which was quickly scuppered at his subordinate’s next words. "Lady Yuna is requesting your presence. She says that it's regarding a matter of great import to the Gullwings."<br/><br/>The Gullwings. Did that mean Paine was here? They had spoken only in brief since the defeat of Vegnagun, nothing too close to a real conversation. He had wanted to gauge her feelings, try and tease out an inkling of what was going through her head when she saw him, but had reached an impasse over commsphere. Slowly, the hope that she might turn up at his door had faded away, leaving only the slight lift in his chest when the commsphere rang each day. He took a moment to compose himself before responding.<br/><br/>"Please, send them in."</p><p>Yaibel retreated from the doorway, was replaced by a diminutive figure, who waved at him cheerily.</p><p>"Just me," Yuna's voice was soft, almost apologetic as she stepped through the door and hovered at the threshold.<br/><br/>Used to concealing his emotions as he was, Nooj let the mask of polite disinterest slip on and rose from his seat formally. He was intrigued, behind the disappointment. Yuna had so far not concerned herself with the new political era dawning amongst factions; choosing instead to stay on Besaid with the man he had not yet brought himself to contemplate. His face was too familiar, he knew Baralai and Gippal had kept their distance too. Still, she was here and all of Spira owed her the debt of their time. He was no exception.<br/><br/>”Nooj,” she began, meeting his eye with that firm gaze that was so often trained on the people of Spira, like each one mattered personally to her, “You know you have my utmost respect, as does Paine, and I hate to see either one of you alone.”</p><p>She paused as if unsure how to continue, lips set in a form line. Her expression reminded him suddenly of their conversation at Vegnagun’s feet, although then was a much darker discussion. Determined, romantic ideals swam through her head, he had realised, and he sighed.<br/><br/>"I never saw you as the interfering type, Lady Yuna," he said, exasperated, but he chuckled at the blush that crept up her cheeks.<br/><br/>"Well, maybe I think this is important," she snapped, cleared her throat, "Besides, the two of you are the most stubborn people I’ve ever met."<br/><br/>"And you thought I'd be the easiest one of us to crack?" He raised an eyebrow, shifted his grip on his cane.<br/><br/>"Well... I figured that letting Rikku loose on Paine was the lesser of two evils. I didn’t think she’d be able to get through to you. I’ve had some practice, at least."<br/><br/>He laughed again, not unkindly. The Yuna in front of him was a far cry from the summoner of legends. That she was concerning herself with the happiness of a friend in the face of massive political upheaval was strangely endearing.<br/><br/>"Quite," he said simply, "How much did Paine tell you about... about us?"<br/><br/>"Nothing too specific. But enough"<br/><br/>"Then you must understand why I have to accept that what was between us cannot be mended."<br/><br/>He shook his head, lowered his gaze. He was used to speaking candidly about matters of politics, war. Personal relationships were different. Always complex, messy, uncontrollable. He had had something akin to family, to love, in his grasp two years ago, so painfully torn away, and he reverted back to curt words now. When he met Yuna’s eye, to his chagrin, she was smiling gently.<br/><br/>"We went back there, you know? Back to the cave. She wanted to understand what had happened," Yuna’s voice was more confident now, unrehearsed and frank, “If she thought it couldn’t be mended then why would she have worked so hard to figure it out all these years? She joined the Gullwings to find out the truth.”</p><p>“Curiosity doesn’t need feelings to exist.”</p><p>“Remember when we followed the three of you to the Bevelle underground?” Yuna’s voice was firm, a hand waved to dismiss his protests, “She told us it was an accident. That you shooting her… she so desperately wanted to believe that there was more to it. That there could be some explanation. Even before she had an answer. She found it in the Den of Woe. She was so relieved, Nooj, I saw it all over her face. Haven’t the two of you been through enough now to at least try and make it work?”</p><p>Nooj felt suddenly very tired. Sitting back down at his desk he beckoned her to the seat in front of him. She obliged, diminished in the seat that was usually reserved for some guard or another summoned to his office. She held his gaze stubbornly. It was admirable, not many would.</p><p>“She may know it was an accident now, but that doesn’t change the fact that my failures nearly got her killed. My weakness that allowed Shuyin to take control and hurt her. I assume you heard that part too, in the underground?” she nodded, “I love her,” the word came out clumsily on his tongue, “And for that reason I need to let her go. It was wrong of me to ask you to try and open the Den. A nostalgic, selfish indulgence that got the better of me. I wanted to remind her, but I had no right.”</p><p>“Nooj, I can’t tell you if she loves you too. That’s not my place to know. But I can tell you that finding out the truth of what happened between you was a gift for her. She needed it as much as you did. I wish you could see that. I wish the two of you could find it in yourself to let yourselves be happy.”</p><p>Nooj watched her carefully. Considered her words. A deathseeker, happy? The idea was laughable. But then could he really argue to himself that he still deserved the moniker? He had chosen to live, chosen to see this new era of Spira like so many others. Would it be worth it, without her? He supposed so, he had resigned himself to that fate, after all. But with her, the world might just seem a little more welcoming.</p><p>Yuna reached over the desk and patted him gently on the arm, careful to squeeze his living one through the sleeve. She left without another word, simply nodded respectfully and took her leave, left him to his thoughts as the light in his office diminished as the sun set. Slowly, and with very little thought, he reached for the commsphere.</p><p>“Hello?” Within moments she was there, looking back at him with an eyebrow raised. In the background he could swear he could see Rikku, retreating through a door. Interfering indeed.</p><p>“Come,” he said quietly, “Please come. Let us talk.”</p><p>In the distorted screen of the commsphere, she nodded, a smile creeping on to her face and Nooj sighed, the weight of two years lifting a little from his shoulders.</p>
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